New variant ‘very likely exists in many states,’ Colorado governor says
After a Colorado man was determined Tuesday to have the COVID-19 variant detected in the United Kingdom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the new variant “very likely exists in many states.”
“We don’t yet have a good idea how prevalent it is” in Colorado or the U.S., Polis said at a news conference Wednesday.
The man, in his 20s, is believed to be the first known case of the variant in the U.S. He has mild symptoms and is recovering, Polis said. The man has had no travel history and is in isolation, officials said.
There is another possible case of the variant that has not been confirmed, State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said Wednesday.
Both individuals are National Guard personnel who were sent to a nursing home where there was an outbreak, she said. National Guard personnel arrived at the facility on Dec. 23. There's no evidence that the variant is circulating in that facility but testing is ongoing, Herlihy said.
Randy Fitzgerald, regional vice president of the nursing home, Good Samaritan Society, said in a statement, "The Colorado Department of Health and Environment have been on-site to test employees and residents for the variant. We expect to have the results in the next few days. We will continue to work closely with the state while following the CDC’s infection control measures."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it expects "there will be additional cases that are likely to be detected in the coming days."
"Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time," the CDC said.
The CDC added that the U.K. variant doesn't appear to cause more severe disease or mortality, but warned it does appear to have a higher transmission rate.
“I’m proud that we detected it here in Colorado as quickly as we did,” Polis said.
